title: [Economic valuation of physician contacts in German outpatient care of COPD. Results from a survey of general practitioners and respiratory specialists].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is associated with considerable morbidity and mortality and features a substantial economic burden.
  
  
  METHODS
  This article analyses the frequency of physician contacts and commonly provided services in the outpatient care of patients with COPD in Germany. Information on characteristic health care delivery in case of patients with COPD has been further used to construct basic scenarios of outpatient resource use.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Altogether, 34 out of 150 respiratory specialists and 55 out of 350 general practitioners participated in the survey (response rates of 22.7 and 15.7%, respectively). Results point out, that the number of commonly provided services (a) is limited to a very basic set, (b) does not differ substantially according to severity of COPD, and (c) does not substantially vary between the stable phase of the disease and the presence of exacerbations.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Despite its low level of evidence, the use of expert opinion can serve as a valuable and legitimate tool; especially when the literature does not provide any or only outdated information.
authors.affiliation: Universität Bielefeld, Fakultät für Gesundheitswissenschaften, Gesundheitsökonomie und Gesundheitsmanagement, Universitätsstraße 25, Bielefeld. david.bowles1@uni-bielefeld.de
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bowles
authors.forename: J-M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Graf von der Schulenburg
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000553:Ambulatory Care / Q000191:economics* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017281:Cost of Illness; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D018450:Disease Progression; D005245:Fee Schedules; D005260:Female; D058006:General Practice / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005858:Germany; D017048:Health Care Costs / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006295:Health Resources / Q000191:economics* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000191:economics* / Q000453:epidemiology; D015272:Pulmonary Medicine / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012017:Referral and Consultation / Q000191:economics* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014600:Utilization Review / Q000706:statistics & numerical data